It begins where the last episode left off with Kagome having accidentally pulled out the Tessaiga despite Sesshōmaru and Inuyasha being unable to.

Sesshōmaru then forgets about Inuyasha and asks Kagome how she was able to draw the sword (unaware she could since she was human; not demon like he and Inuyasha) and then contemplates that she must die because of it. Inuyasha protests demanding he leave her alone as she was not involved in this and that she was only "a human girl," and tells Kagome to give Sesshōmaru the sword as there was no other choice. However, Kagome refuses saying that because he couldn't pull it out clearly meant he wasn't supposed to have it. Inuyasha then argues with her about the matter and Sesshōmaru then says Inuyasha's patience with Kagome was "astonishing" to him before adding on how he "protects her, indulge her, even seem to love her," (which Inuyasha answers with a simple frustrated sigh). Sesshōmaru then remarks these "feelings of mercy" weren't something he inherited from their father, but Inuyasha must have inherited from his mother and what made him have a connection towards humans, and then states that he bears no such weakness.

Sesshōmaru then blasts poison out of his hands at Kagome, completely burying her in a pile of it, apparently killing her as Inuyasha calls out her name. Sesshōmaru and Inuyasha then battle once again when Sesshōmaru insults half-breeds referring to Inuyasha. Inuyasha braces himself as Sesshōmaru launches more poison whips at him. Inuyasha gets more insults from Sesshōmaru for being called a half-demon.

Inuyasha thinks of his miserable childhood

Inuyasha then thinks back his childhood to where men from his village were playing a ball game. When he tried to approach them, they kicked the ball away, coldly calling him a half breed. Inuyasha runs to his mother asking her what a half-breed is. She doesn't give him an answer, instead she hugs him tightly and starts crying. Then Inuyasha realizes his mother didn't wanted to answer it because she knew what his life would be like because of it. Inuyasha becomes angry saying that he can take the insults; but not the ones for his mother. He then takes several swings at Sesshōmaru's armor; one for his mother and then another for Kagome, the second actually breaking the armor. However, Sesshōmaru further insults him saying if that's what it took to make him fight he would have killed Kagome a long time ago.

Sesshomaru's demon form

Just when Inuyasha threatens him again Kagome suddenly bursts out of the poison pile perfectly unharmed. She is in a short rage for attempting to be killed before she quickly gives Inuyasha the sword so he can finish Sesshōmaru off. However, he is confused as to how she is still alive, but Sesshōmaru realizes that the sword is what preserved Kagome's life, something Myōga confirms. Sesshōmaru suddenly transform into a giant dog, which is his true demon form and starts releasing gas. Inuyasha orders Kagome and Myōga to get to higher ground so they won't get harmed and Kagome hesitantly does worrying about him since the gas will harm demons as well given in a few minutes. Sesshōmaru attacks Inuyasha and Inuyasha sees his sword isn't leaving so much as a scratch. Sesshōmaru eventually gets Inuyasha in his mouth and they battle outside the tomb where Kagome has escape too. Kagome attempts to encourage him saying that the swords is his and all he has to do is believe in it like she does him. Inuyasha calls her nuts saying he'll live since he's half demon whereas she "ain't got a chance." Kagome then starts to cry asking if this meant she should just give up hope. Inuyasha then demands her not to cry and when she mockingly asks if she should "laugh" he snaps at her that she should "shut up" and let him protect her, surprising Kagome.

Tessaiga begins to pulse

Inuyasha resumes his fight telling her to stay where she is. Suddenly the sword begins to pulse and grows bigger and turns into a dog fang and when Sesshōmaru pounces onto Inuyasha with his left paw, Inuyasha jumps at him and cuts off his left arm. Inuyasha then declares that it was their father who chose to leave the sword to him, to hide his tomb in, and that he wasn't so worthless after all. Sesshōmaru attacks him one last time, but Inuyasha manages to defeat sending him off the skeleton. Jaken, shocked to see his lord defeated, rushes after him as the both escape to the normal world. Inuyasha takes back what he said about his sword earlier saying it's not a "piece of junk" after all. Myōga shows up with skeleton vultures for a ride home. They return to the normal world and the black pearl returns from to Inuyasha's right eye. They get back to Kaede's hut where Myōga informs Kaede about what happened. Keade asks why Kagome was able to get the Tessaiga where Sesshōmaru, who was a powerful daiyōkai, and Inuyasha couldn't. Myōga said that Kagome was mortal and the purpose of the Tessaiga was to protect Inuyasha's mother who was also a human and that it was Inuyasha's feelings towards mortals that enabled him to wield the sword. Kagome then recalls that when Inuyasha told her he would protect her the Tessaiga reacted. Kaede then says how to Inuyasha his half demon/human heritage has always been a curse and that his love for his mother has always been tinged with shame but yet those feelings is what make him different among other demons and why his father chose him for his resting place. She then speculates that maybe the one that most resembled their father was not Sesshōmaru but Inuyasha.

Meanwhile, Inuyasha is up in his tree swing the sword in its rusty form trying to figure out how to get it to work again. Kagome then shows up and calls to him saying she knows how to get him to use the sword again. Inuyasha doubts her advice and when she refers to him earlier telling her that he would protect her, Inuyasha quickly yells that he didn't mean it like "that," and says how the sword should be used to "collect more jewel shards and making him more powerful," and that he isn't wasting it on "babysitting a helpless little human" like her. Kagome then pushes him onto the log bridge confusing him. She then gets back onto the end on the land and says "sit, boy" which causes Inuyasha to automatically slam face down onto the logs breaking them and causing him to fall into the river below.